Randy de Puniet buoyed by top-six result in Aragon MotoGP practice

The Italian team has struggled this year, but de Puniet got as high as third in the sole session held before a power failure hit the Spanish track, and ended up a promising sixth. That made him the fastest Ducati rider in the order.

De Puniet said the bike had not been upgraded at all since Misano, where he could only qualify and finish 14th.

"It was very good, the feeling with the bike was quite good immediately," he told the official MotoGP website.

"I was very happy as the bike was exactly the same as Misano but here the track is different and I was immediately fast.

"I played with the bike like a long time ago, and finally I finished only one second [off the pace] - which I think is a good result for us."

The Frenchman's best qualifying efforts so far this year have been seventh at Jerez and ninth at the Sachsenring, with eighth place at Indianapolis his best finish. He said his aim for tomorrow was a row three slot.

"The third row would be good," said de Puniet. "I need to start on the third row if I want to get a good result like Indy."